Dental apparatus



H FREEDMAN DENTAL APPARATUS Filed May 3, 1941 Sept. 9, 1941.l

Patented Sept. 9, 1941 y UNITED` STATES PATENT OFFICEI DENTAL APPARATUS Hyman Freedman, New York, N. Y.

Application May 3, 1941, Serial No. 391,695

9 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to improvements in dental apparatus and has particular .reference to a saliva ejector and its mounting, and the method of making the same.

An objectf the invention is to provide an improved apparatus in which a source of illumination is carried within an ejector tube and so arranged therein as to properly illuminate a patients mouth, and have its temperature reduced by the iluid being withdrawn from the oral cavity.

Another object resides in utilizing the divided sections of an ejector tube as conductors for supplying current to an incandescent lamp carried by said tube, and coating said sections with a dielectric composition which will insulate the sections from each other.

Another object is to form a chamber in the mouthpiece portion of an ejector tube for the reception therimof an incandescent lamp, and

to provide said portion with an apertured sleeve member which cooperates with a part of said tube to retain a transparent cover for said chamber in covering position relative to the lamp therein.

A further object is to conceal' Within an ejector tube/at least a portion of an injector tube and to so dispose an outlet for the latter in the wall of the ejector tube as to cause a spray from said outlet tube to be directed onto the upper teeth in the oral cavity when the ejector tube is in draining position in said cavity.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of a saliva ejector and its mounting constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are transverse sections on the lines'-B, 1 4, and 5-5, respectively, of Figure 2.

Figure A6 is a plan view of the mouthpiece portion of the ejector tube, and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the two sections oithe ejector tube before assembly.

inclined mouthpiece portion, generally designated by the numeral II, which is adapted to be inserted into the lower portion of the oral cavity for a drainage operation with the tube suspended from the patients mouth in a substantially vertical position, as is customary with a saliva ejector of this character. The tube III is divided longitudinally into two sections I2 and I 3, with the end of the latter section at the bowed portion of the tube terminating short of theadjacent end of the section I2. Said sections have their longitudinal edges inturned to provide flanges I4 and I5, respectively, which are opposed to each other when said sections are assembled. In accordance with the present invention, the two sections of the tube are utilized as electrical conductors for supplying current to a source of illumination, such as the small incandescent lamp I6, mounted within the mouthpiece portion of the tube. For this purpose, the sections I2, I3 are made o1' any-suitable conducting material and, before assembly, the greater portions of the lengths of said tube are sprayed, or have otherwise applied thereto, on the outer and inner surfaces thereof with an electrically insulating coating I'I of any preferred composition. This coating covers the entire vlength of the tube to the point I8 adjacent the lower end of said tube remote from the mouthpiece, and, from this point to the lower extremity of the tube, the sections are bare of said insulation for electrical contact with conductors in the mounting I9 for the tube, which mounting will later be described in detail. A preferred coating for the tube sections consists of a phenol formaldehyde composition having high dielectric and adhesive powers, and which is boil-proof and will resist chipping. Upon completion of the coating operation, the two sections I2, I3 are brought together with their iianges I4, I5 in abutting relation and the adhesive quality of the composition will aid in securing said sections together. Rings or collars 20 may also be employed to secure the sections in assembled relation.

YA means for injecting a fluid into the oral cavity is employed in conjunction with the The device of the present invention is shown as comprising an ejector tube, generally indicated by the numeral I0, which is bowed adjacent one end thereof to form a downwardly sirablewhen grinding the teeth so as to effectively drain any residue of such operation from the oral cavity. The injector means,as shown,

comprises a tube 2|` which, for a major portion of its length and more particularly that portion extending from a point ,adjacent the mouthpiece, is arranged along the interior surface of the sectim I3 of thetube [n.ilidjacent the-mwer 5 end of the latter tube, the injector tube 2l projects through the wall of section I3 to provide the exteriorly depending'porton 22 to which may be connected a small hose 23a for .supplying a fluid to the injector tube from a suitable source.

At the`upper extremity of the tube 2l the same communicates with a discharge outlet opening 23 formedin the wall of section I3 in the bowed portion of the latter and disposed diagonally in said wall so that the spray., exiting from said will impinge against the upper teeth and thus wash down into the lower portion of the oral cavity any residue which might otherwise accumulate in the patients mouth during an op- A eration. It will be noted that, by mounting the injector tube 2I within the tube Ill, said injector 25 tube will be concealed with the exception of the portion 22 thereof and the circular contour of the ejector tube will thus not be altered.

With the upper extremity of the section I3 terminating short of that of the section- I2, there is formed, in the mouthpiece portion of the tube,

an open chamber or recess into which the incandescent lamp I6 may be introduced. This chamber 24 (Figure 3) is formed essentially by the portion of the section I2 which extends down- 35 wardly beyond the extremity of the section I3 and, preferably, the dimensions of the section I2 and of the lamp I8 are such that the anges It of said section will engage the lamp I6, when the latter is in position, to frictionally retain the J lamp in the chamber 24 and permit of itsinsertion into said chamber by applying pressure upon the lamp suiiicient to force the same past the inner edges of said anges. Before the lamp I6 is so mounted in the chamber, the wires 25 of said 45 lamp, which are lconnected to the filament thereof, are inserted into sockets 26 and 21 carried, respectively, by the sections I2 and I3 to thereby establish electrical connection between said sections 'and said lamp. j

Cooperating with and forming part of the mouthpiece portion of the tube is a sleeve member, generally indicated by the numeral 28which is coated with the same insulating composition that is appliedto the tube proper, and which ts over and embraces the extremities of the sections I2 and I3 and is insulatedtherefrom. The upper surface of the sleeve 28 is cut away from a point adjacent its inner extremity to the outer extremity thereof tov provide an aperature 29, and the outer extremity f said sleeve is formed with a lipv 30, constituting the/end of the mouthpiece which rests in the patients'mouth when'the device is yin position. As best shown in Figure 3,

f the sides 3I. of the sleeve, which is preferably 65 made of metal, have a degree of resiliency and extend upwardly beyond the anges Il of the section I2, and form a. means for retaining in position a transparent cover 32 for the chamber 24 and the lamp I6 therein. arcuate in cross section and its longitudinal edges are adapted to rest upon the flanges Il which,

in this portion ofthe section I2`, form bearing surfaces which are slightly inclined, as best shown in Figure 2, with respect tothe longitudinal axis ductor sections, a sleeve mounted upon said end 'This cover 32 is I0 of the ejector tube. By so inclining the surfaces of the anges I4, it will be apparent that when the cover 32'is being inserted into position by engagement of its edges with said anges and forced upwardly along said bearing surfaces to position the upper end of the cover beneath the upper end of the sleeve member, a wedging action upon the upper end of the cover will be effected and this action, in conjunction with engagement of the sidewalls 3| with the cover 32, will frictionally retain said cover in position. When mounted in place, as in'Figure 2, the lower ex-A tremity of the cover is spaced suiiiciently from the lip 30 to provide an inlet 33 through which the drainage from the oral cavity passes into the mouthpiece andover the lamp I6 into the tube I 0 from which it is carried away through the mounting I9. By passing over thelamp I6 and in direct contact therewith, the drainage fluid will have a cooling effect upon the lamp to lower the temperature thereof and thus prevent any possibility of the heat from the lament of said lamp having an injurious eiect upon the patients mouth. The construction herein described also provides for the ready replacement of the lamp I6 by the simple expedient of extracting the cover I3 from-its position and then removing the lamp from the chamber by an outward pull thereon which will withdraw the ,wires 25 from the sockets 26 and 21.

The mounting I9 is shown as comprising a. length of rubber hose 34 formed in its outer surface with opposed longitudinally extending grooves 35 in which are countersunk'fiat electrical conducting strips 36 which are retained in position in said grooves by a fabric covering 31. At the end of the mountingshown in Figure 2, the conducting strips 36 are secured by terminals 38 which extend'through the wall of ther hose for direct contact with the bared portions of the sections I2, I3 of the ejector tube which is rotatably mounted within the hose, the terminals 38 thus providing an electrical connection between the conductors 36 and the conducting sections of the tube Ill whereby current will flow through said sections to the sockets 26, 21, and thence to the iilament of the lamp I6.

It is understoody that although the insulation has been removed from the outer surface of the tube belowv the point I8, the insulation between the flanges I4 and I5 continues to the lower end of the tube.

What is. claimed is:

1. "A saliva ejector comprising a tube consisting of electrically insulated sections each constituting a conductor and combining to form a mouthpiece portion and a chamber at one end of the tube, and a source of illumination mounted in said a chamber, and a source of illumination in said chamber and electrically connected to said conductor sections.

3. A salival ejector comprising a tube consisting.

of electrically insulated sections each constitutl ing a conductor and combining to form a mouth'- rpiece portion and a chamber at one end of the tube, a source of illumination mounted in said chamber-and electrically connected to said con# of the tube and forming a part of said chamber, and a transparent cove'r for said chamber engaged by and held in position by portions of said sleeve.

4. A saliva ejector comprising a tube divided longitudinally to form conductor sections electrically insulatedfrom each other, one of said sections terminating short of the other at adjacent ends to constitute a mouthpiece portion and a chamber, a source of illumination in said chamber and electrically connected to said conductor sections, a sleeve mounted upon said end of the tube and forming a part ofv said chamber, and a transparent cover for said chamber engaged and held in position by portions of said sleeve.

5. A saliva ejector comprising a tube consisting of electrically insulated sections each constituting a conductor and combining to form a mouthpiece portion and a chamber at one end ci the tube, a source of illumination mounted in said chamber and electrically connected to said conductor sections, one section of said tube having bearing surfaces which are inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the portion of the tube forming said chamber, and a transparent cover for said chamber engaging said inclined surfaces and a part of said sleeve for wedging said cover in position.

6. A saliva ejector comprising a tube'consisting of electrically insulated sections each constituting a conductor andcombining to form a mouthpiece portion and a chamber at one end of the tube, a socket carried by each of said sections 'adjacent the inner end of said chamber, and an incandescent lamp in said chamber and having terminals engaging in said sockets.

7. A saliva ejector comprising a tube consisting of metallic sections each constituting an electrical conductor and combining to form a -mouthpiece portion and a chamber at one end of the tube, a dielectric coating for said sections insulating the same from each other, and an incandescent lamp mounted in said chamber for electrical ccnnection with said sections.

8. A saliva ejector comprising a tube having a mouthpiece portion and an open chamber at one end thereof, an incandescent lamp mounted in said chamber and in the path of liquid ilowing through said tube, a. cover for said chamber enclosing said lamp within the tube, and means to supply current to said lamp.

9. In adental appliance, the combination with a saliva ejector having a bowed portion provided with an opening in its upper wall and a downwardly directed mouthpiece extending from said bowed portion; of annjector tube arranged interiorly of said ejector along said upper wall and terminating at and communicating with said opening so as to spray a uid therethrough in an upward direction from said downwardly extending mouthpiece.

HYMAN FREEDMAN. 

